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Osprey
Osprey Books fill a void. They are great resources for the military historian as well as resources for miniature wargamers. They often have color plates to accompany the text that serve as painting guides for the hordes of lead that wargamers place upon the table to reenact the battles that have occured all throughout history. 'Boer Wars (1) 1836-1898' Over the space of two centuries, the original Dutch settlers of South Africa, augmented by a trickle of refugees from a succession of religious wars in France and Germany, grew into a hardy breed. In time, these people came to think of themselves as white Africans or 'Afrikaners' though they were generally known to one another, and outsiders, as 'Boers', meaning farmers. This book details the fascinating history of the Boers from the 'Great Trek' of 1836-40, through their many wars with such peoples as the Zulus and the Pedi, to their final defeat of the Venda in 1898. http://tinyurl.com/p9yqf2z 'Boer Wars (2) 1898-1902' On 11 October 1899 the Second Boer War between the British and the Boers began. The war saw the most powerful professional army in the world pitted against the unconventional tactics of the undisciplined Boers. Although the Boers were finally forced to surrender in May 1902 the war had taken its toll on their opponents who lost some 8,000 troops killed in action with a further 13,000 dying from disease. This book covers the organisation, uniforms and very different tactics involved in the conflict, from guerrilla warfare to a final war of attrition that the Boers could not hope to win. http://tinyurl.com/pj24orr 'Tel El-Kebir 1882: Wolseley's Conquest of Egypt (Campaign)' : :Osprey's Campaign title for the battle of Tel El-Kebir of 1882. In 1881, the Egyptian army mutinied against the Khedive of Egypt and forced him to appoint Said Ahmed Arabi as Minister of War. In March 1882, Arabi was made a Pasha and from this time on acted as a dictator. Arabi demanded that the foreigners be driven out of Egypt and called for the massacre of Christians. This prompted an armed British response, first in the form of a naval bombardment of Alexandria, and then as an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Wolseley. This book explores the entire campaign, including Sir Wolseley's 'textbook' operation that was planned and executed with masterly competence. : http://tinyurl.com/lu7k954: 'The Sudan Campaigns 1881-98 (Men-at-Arms)' : :In the Sudan in 1881 an obscure son of a carpenter pronounced himself the ‘Mahdi’ or ‘Guided One of the Prophet’, the long-expected Messiah of the Islamic faith. His influence was so strong that Egypt (co-ruled by Britain and France) was plunged into war. Robert Wilkinson-Latham provides an absorbing account of the Sudan campaigns, including the siege of Khartoum, the unpredictable General Charles Gordon, and the Nile Expedition. The author details the organisation and fortunes of all forces involved, painting a fascinating picture of the place and its peoples from 1881–98. : http://tinyurl.com/n5cwoxx 'Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia (Men-at-Arms)' : :In the late 19th century, the new nation-state of Italy was eager to join her European neighbors in creating an international empire. Italy's eyes turned towards Africa as a source of potential colonies. Most of the continent had already been carved up between the Great Powers but Italy succeeded in securing a foothold in Eritrea on the Red Sea coast, a vassal of the Emperor of Ethiopia. Trade and other links were established with the Ethiopian empire but quarrels regarding the interpretation of a particular clause led to Ethiopian support for uprisings in Eritrea. Italian troops entered northern Ethiopia and captured Adowa, the capital of the Tigray province. Full-scale war broke out and this new Osprey title tracks every development in the battle and the men who fought in it. :http://tinyurl.com/lyh8beo 'Khartoum 1885: General Gordon's last stand (Campaign)' ' ' Osprey's Campaign title for the Siege of Kartoum (1884-1885). Early in 1881 unrest in the Sudan began to crystallise around Mohammed Ibn Ahmed el-Sayyid Abdullah. Proclaiming himself the long-expected Madhi, the Guided One of the Prophet, he preached that the Sudan was to be purged of its Egyptian oppressors. Drawn in by the Egyptian failure to deal with the situation, the British sent General Gordon to organise an evacuation. On reaching Khartoum however, General Gordon believed, incorrectly, that the Madhi could be reasoned with. Instead of negotiating, the Madhi besieged the town for 317 days. This title looks in particular, although not exclusively, at the battles fought by the British columns sent to relieve Khartoum. http://tinyurl.com/n8pgewa 'The British Army on Campaign (4): 1882-1902 (Men-at-Arms)' The Army of 1882 had just emerged from the many modernizing reforms effected between 1856-81. These included: opening of schools of instruction; abolition of the purchase of commissions; improvements in pay, living conditions and disciplinary measures and new weapons and tactics. By these later years of the 19th century the British Army had become the policeman of a vast global Empire. This volume in the acclaimed British Army on Campaign mini-series details the uniforms, organisation and equipment used in a succession of campaigns across the face of the globe. Michael Barthorp's splendid text is accompanied by numerous illustrations including eight colour plates by Pierre Turner http://tinyurl.com/my8rbj8 'Warrior Peoples of East Africa 1840-1900 (Men-at-Arms)' :Less well known than the Zulu of South Africa, the warriors of East Africa had just as fearsome a reputation. This fascinating study, illustrated with rare early drawings and meticulous colour plates, covers six of most prominent tribes. The prowess of the lion-hunting Masai deterred all foreign penetration for most of the 19th century; the Ngoni, driven north by the Zulu, revolutionized warfare in the region; the HeHe put up fierce resistance to German colonisers; the Ruga-Ruga produced two formidable warlords and adorned themselves with bloody trophies; the Nandi showed reckless bravery even against machine guns; and the Turkana dominated one of the most pitiless wildernesses in all of Africa. : http://tinyurl.com/ko785lb 'Queen Victoria's Enemies (1) : Southern Africa (Men at Arms Series, 212)' :When Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne in 1837, British troops had recently concluded a war in southern Africa against the Xhosa people, and the seeds were already sown for a clash with the Boers. When she died in January 1901 Britain was fighting the Boers in one of the longest and costliest of the imperial colonial wars. This book details the history of Britain's numerous conflicts with the people of southern Africa, namely the Xhosa, Basotho, Tswana and Boers. Numerous illustrations, including rare photographs and colour plates, detail the dress, weaponry and organization of Victoria's enemies in the late 19th century. : http://tinyurl.com/mywqxc3 'Queen Victoria's Enemies (2) : Northern Africa (Men-At-Arms Series, 215)' : :The British Army in Queen Victoria's reign fought a series of regional campaigns against various African groups with complex military traditions well-suited to their environment. In many instances, the outcome of the ensuing fighting was by no means one-sided. This book focuses on the large-scale wars in northern Africa in which British regular troops were engaged throughout the 19th century, including those in Abyssinia, Asante, Egypt and the Sudan. Containing a number of rare contemporary photographs and eight colour plates, the book charts the history of these campaigns and describes the African groups against which they were waged. : http://tinyurl.com/luzzbq4 'Majuba 1881:The Hill of Destiny' In 1881 the tension between Britain and the Boer farmers of southern Africa that had existed for 75 years boiled over into open conflict. The British entered the war full of confidence, yet in a few short weeks they had suffered three separate reverses before suffering their final humiliating defeat on the isolated summit of Majuba. George Colley's force were swept off their 'unassailable' position and into headlong retreat. It was a defeat that sent shock waves reverberating around the Empire. In this masterful examination of the First Boer War Ian Castle looks at the battles of Laing's Nek, Schuinshoogte and the action at Bronkhorstspruit. Majuba is also looked at in particular detail. The commanders of the two sides and the opposing forces themselves are examined, as are their different ways of fighting. The regular British army proved incapable of taking on and beating irregular Boer commandos, who, favouring a defensive strategy, were happy to hold secure positions until such time as the enemy were about to close, at which point they would mount-up and retired to safety: this was, in many ways, the 19th century British army's Vietnam. Ian Castle's account does true justice to the conflict, explaining clearly how the British were comprehensively beaten by a small infant republic with no standing army. http://tinyurl.com/l5prceo